Windows Server Hosting Challenges

Windows server hosting is one of the most versatile hosting platforms available. Webmasters love to have more control over their website; this fantastic hosting platform offers them high power along with a wide variety of features and ease of use. Here are some tips to help webmasters make the most of this fantastic web hosting platform. 

What is Windows Server Hosting?

Every online business, an e-commerce store, a professional or personal blog requires server space to store files, images, videos to educate visitors about their offerings, products, and services. A hosting server that runs on windows operating system is a windows hosting platform.

Windows server is an offering of Microsoft Corporation, and it has a licensing cost, which puts it at a disadvantage. However, for the features, services, support webmasters receive, the price they pay is worth it.

Windows server hosting offers great features and support to help run your online venture smoothly and successfully.

Windows server hosting comes in all sizes or forms. From cloud level to VPS, or share, you can choose an option that suits your business requirements and budget.

Why Chose Windows Server to Host your Website?

If you mostly use Microsoft applications for your online business and are looking for easy to use hosting platform windows server hosting is the right choice for you.

Windows Server offers you the flexibility to use either window as your operating system or Linux operating system. As windows are the most commonly used OS most online businesses, webmasters prefer windows as their operating system.

Though Windows server works great with Microsoft products as ASP.NET Framework, MS-SQL Server, and other Microsoft stack products, however, with this incredible platform, you can use other software such as WordPress, Joomla, PrestaShop, PhpBB, PHP, etc.

Online businesses need uninterrupted services for business continuity, more sales, revenue, and profits. With windows server, you get enhanced features such as ease of use, scalability, regular updates, smooth integration, robust security, help your website with seamless integration with Microsoft products, and more.

When to choose Windows Server Hosting?

  • If you require more control and are willing to pay the price for it.
  • When you need a great support for programming languages such as .NET framework, VB, etc.
  • You don’t like cPanel.

Solutions to issues with Windows server hosting

Window server works on windows operating system, which many users find easy to use. However, you may face some problems hen hosting your website on this incredible web hosting platform.

Here are some of the most common issues that you might face working with windows server.

  1. Window Server Crashes: Windows server crashes can cause damage to your business continuity, profitability, and the overall brand image. It is essential to take preventive steps than wait until the server crashes and results in massive loss. Anti-Virus Software: Such a crash is the result of Device drivers that anti-virus software uses. While Microsoft tests its device drivers to check they are compatible with OS and any changes, unfortunately, they do not check third party drivers for compatibility. So, it is important that when updating the operating system, you need to check for updates with the vendor.
  2. Reconciling Hung Server: Resolving hung server issues require you to look at the pertinent data to understand the reasons for a server crash. Administrators should first collect all vital information such as event logs etc., by running MPS reports. Once you have all the reports of log events, on further investigating these reports, you will observe a pattern or specific entries that help you understand the exact reason for a crash. If you observe performance issues or a slow-down before the system hangs up, you may have to look into perfmon data.  You can extract perfmon data as prescribed in the knowledge base in Microsoft’s support site.
  3. Windows Application crash: One major issue that webmasters face with windows server is that of misbehaving applications. Nevertheless, you have many free tools that help you diagnose the problem and fix the problems, so your server runs smoothly. However, the good news is you can make use of many FREE tools available that help you isolate the problem, causing program, DLL error and helps with documentation to find a workaround to fix the issue.
    • ADPlus: Available with windows debugging tool, ADPlus is a VBScript that helps investigate an erratic application behavior and the reasons for the crash.
    • DebugDiag: Is a handy tool that helps analyze the reasons for webserver crash, application performance, memory leaks, etc.
  4. Memory Leaks: Poorly coded application or drivers that fail to utterly de-allocate memory, once it allocates such memory are some of the primary reasons for memory leaks. Such memory leaks would eventually result in system crashes. You have many tools that help you track the causes of memory leaks and fix those issues.
    • Poolman: Isolating the causes of memory leaks, we need to check memory allocation patterns from the drivers. Microsoft offers you a free tool, “Memory pool monitor,” utility helps you check the memory allocation.
    • Windbg: When your server hangs up entirely on account of memory leaks, you may have to force crash dump so you can analyze for reasons and fix the issue. Windows kernel debugger tool helps understand the memory usage, and evaluate the data structures that consume memory.

Conclusion

Windows server hosting is a fantastic platform if you are looking for enhanced security, ease of use, great support for programming languages, and all to help you gain superior control over your online business.

This amazing web hosting platform offers you Plesk as a control panel to help you customize settings and control your website.

However, before you go with windows server hosting, you need to be sure of the kind of support you would get for other software, applications, such as content management systems, etc. You may also want to check how the pricing works, what would be the pricing, etc., as there is a licensing cost associated with this hosting platform.

Linda Gelbero
Linda Gelbero
Articles: 25

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